Non-existent Prettiness
by ButterflyParadox
Summary: ToushirouKarin. Karin wasn't ugly. But she was sure as hell that she's not pretty. Seemed like a certain taichou simply disagree


**Non-existent Prettiness**

Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine.

* * *

Strands of hair were scattered randomly on the cold floor.

She had been brushing her hair while looking at her book intensely. Wow, so much hair-fall for the ugly hair; or that's how _she_ _said_.

She had been brushing, reading, and sitting on a very uncomfortable manner. As if it's not enough with just rain outside, now she had to bear intolerable cold due to broken heating. Her numb state sat still, trying to comprehend the book she was holding tightly. From the heavy rain outside,

Two certain orbs were intently watching her.

Then she heard it.

A knock on the window. From outside. Under a very heavy shower.

Not to mention; dark, midnight.

For the sole reason of being uptight, utterly serious, and very, very panicked because of the sudden noise –from outside–, she screamed.

_Usually_ loud enough for the strawberry-head to hear. _Usually_ piercing enough for _goat-chin_ to run and breaking in to the inside of her room. _Usually_ Earsplitting enough for Yuzu to cry; panicking.

But no one was at home that very, _very _late evening. Only them alone.

And her voice echoed throughout the house.

...

An amused expression was seen on the tenth-division taichou's face. He hadn't expected her to scream that thunderous.

"You're such a loud screamer" Toushirou broke the silence.

Karin twitched her brows. She was certainly not the type of person who let mockery slide, let alone from a very particular _midget_.

"Gee, thanks" She corrected her position; since someone had the nerve to shock her like that, she had been holding an incredibly uncomfortable position. "Anyone would scream if someone knocked on their window at this hour. One moment I was studying for test and suddenly someone interrupt my affair with my books" she was pissed off, but for this once, let it go.

"Why are you here anyway?"

"Nothing in particular. Just bored"

Yeah, like a taicho could ever have nothing to do. But it was expected.

Silence.

"Where's Kurosaki?" He would rather not ask this but anything is better than an awkward silence inside a girl room. A _certain_ girl room. Alone, an 'a hundred and ten'-year-old guy and a fifteen-year-old girl was once in unforeseen peace. The orange-berry usually broke in at this kind of time and would probably have already bankai-ed his ass.

But still, no one came.

"Ichi-nii or Goat-chin? I don't know. Ichi-nii is in his dorm maybe, sleeping" She said halfheartedly. Well, no one wanted to be asked anything by someone who is not even soaked from the friggin rain. "I'm not even sure who is the person you're asking about since we all Kurosakis"

Ha.

'We all Kurosakis' she said. As if he didn't know that already! He's just merely breaking tension so the silence was not as awkward.

"Yes, I was asking about your brother" If he lied, he hid it well.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to be suspicious. Nobody will come anyway. Yuzu is staying on her friend's house and Goat-chin is probably meeting with his drink buddy"

He was reminded of Matsumoto. And he did not tell.

And quietness took over. Again.

Suddenly self-conscious, she let go of her hairbrush; after forgetting that she had gripped it tightly, almost breaking it.

The older chibi noticed the red hairbrush she just let go, and out of the blue aware of strands of hair lying carelessly on the pale floor. He knew the owner of them but asked anyway, "whose hair is this?"

"Mine." She said with a bemused look. "Whose hair can be this ugly anyway? It fell all over the place"

Toushirou shut his mouth completely.

Her hair undoubtedly was not ugly. Her hair was long, and black, and shinny, and… Wait, why the heck did those thoughts suddenly crept into his mind! But still, anyone who made her think so should have been strangled.

He was sure as hell ice couldn't do the job. But, hey, no one had ever tried right?

Nothing is impossible for Hitsugaya Toushirou.

"Who said that?"

"Said what?"

"That your hair is ugly"

"Me"

He frowned.

So scratched the strangle idea.

The rain outside rapidly got louder and he got uncomfortable.

After one moment realizing that he just stood there without moving from the very beginning, he sat down in front of her. Then he sighed

"No it's not. It suits you"

This time, she was the one who frowned

"It suits me because I'm not sparkly like those girls. If Yuzu ever got my hair, it won't suit her because she's pretty" She responded, fingers twitching.

The lad looked at her as if she was saying something intolerable. He cannot forgive Karin for saying something outrageous. Sure, she's not as pretty as her twin, but she's not ugly! Not even in the slightest in his eyes.

He was about to deny her but suddenly the words stuck on his tongue. What should he say? Should he tell her that she's pretty? Or should he just nod and stay cool like always? Maybe the second choice would be better?

But what the hell, her rating of herself is unforgivable!

"You're not ugly, you're… _Average_" Wrong word. "_Normal_" Still definitely wrong. "I think you're _pretty_"

Heat took over his cold face.

He was blushing. His hand surprisingly became more appealing all of the sudden.

What a right time to come, hormones!

He couldn't bear to see Karin's face, but curiosity beat him. He peeked a glance at her; he could not tell what was inside of Karin's head.

The girl in front of him gave a semi-confused, semi-shocked look.

But factually, Karin was surprised. Not in the 'oh-so-dramatic' kind of surprised, but in 'I-did-not-expect-that' kind of surprised.

She fidgeted.

But in the end, she just smiled warmly, yet; teasingly.

"Thanks"


End file.
